Amber engine light but no codes..

Amber engine light but no codes..

Author
Discussion

A.J.M

Original Poster:

7,938 posts

187 months

Tuesday 24th July 2012
quotequote all
Hi all,

Have been having the amber engine light flashing on/off on my 04 TD4 freelander, for a few months,
It will flash under heavy acceleration or when going up certain hills under load and when rev's are about 2000rpm.

I've had it to a garage for diagnostic check which found "4 unspecified error's" but nothing that they could read. They wiped the memory and took £50 for the privilege.
I've plugged an obd reader into it and that has come up with no codes either as it has started to flash again.

The car has 73,394 miles. Full service history with the last service done with a full 72k genuine LR service kit, had air, oil, fuel, crank, and pollon filters changed.
The cars been remapped but that has been on the car for 3 years with no issues. The EGR has been blanked for the same amount of time.
All engine hoses have been replaced for uprated silicone parts with new clamps all round.

The car is down on power at all rev's, it struggles above 60mph at times to gain speed. There's an increase of black smoke under load and the MOT smoke/emissions were higher this time than last time.

I had an injector test done 3 years ago to figure out why it would have blue smoke on start up, this showed that injector 2 had less flow than the rest but the figures for flow rateswere all over the place.

I got a fuel pump changed when i bought the car with 37k on the clock, i can't mind what one it was as i know there are 2 in the system. The car wouldn't rev and 30 mph was a struggle to hit when that pump went.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what the hell is up with it, i really don't want to throw yet more money at diagnostic tests that throw up no codes.

I'm guessing for the lack of response and dip in power with the mot test smoke/emissions that it is a fuelling issue with a sensor/pump/injector.

I'm keeping the car for another 3 years minimum so would like to get it sorted properly.

SuperchargedVR6

3,138 posts

221 months

Tuesday 24th July 2012
quotequote all
My friend just went through this with his Freelander and it was the MAF sensor. £380+VAT I believe.

stevieturbo

17,278 posts

248 months

Tuesday 24th July 2012
quotequote all
You need to take the car to somewhere with proper diagnostic equipment, somewhere that knows how to use it, and you probably need to do it after the light has come on, but do not turn the engine off before scanning.
Sometimes a short term code will simply erase when you key off making it harder to track down.

And with a lot of cars, cheap generic OBD readers are useless. You need proper equipment

anonymous-user

55 months

Tuesday 24th July 2012
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A "flashing" MIL is the result of the system detecting a serious enough misfire that your care would be exceeding the tailpipe emissions limits. The MIL will flash whilst a misfire condition exists, and then when it finishes the MIL will stop flashing, but it WILL store a "misfire detected" code.

A.J.M

Original Poster:

7,938 posts

187 months

Tuesday 24th July 2012
quotequote all
Ok, the light is the one with the ! In it. Will stay lit for about 10 seconds then goes out again.

There's a landrover specialist about 13 miles from me but it's £50-60 an hour labour rate.

What would be causing a misfire on a diesel that clears and goes away?
Really stumped at this, have looked into replacement maf's but the standard bosch one doesn't get a good write up and the uprated pierfberg one needs a synergy 2 remap to work properly.


SuperchargedVR6

3,138 posts

221 months

Tuesday 24th July 2012
quotequote all
I take it yours has the BMW derv engine as well?

It's the most unreliable part of my friend's Freelander, lol

First a belt tensioner went, then the MAF went and now it has injector faults, which in a diesel engine is what is going to cause a 'misfire'. In your OP, you mentioned a possible injector fault?

If it's anything like other BMW derv engines, good luck extracting the injector!!

A.J.M

Original Poster:

7,938 posts

187 months

Tuesday 24th July 2012
quotequote all
SuperchargedVR6 said:
I take it yours has the BMW derv engine as well?

It's the most unreliable part of my friend's Freelander, lol

First a belt tensioner went, then the MAF went and now it has injector faults, which in a diesel engine is what is going to cause a 'misfire'. In your OP, you mentioned a possible injector fault?

If it's anything like other BMW derv engines, good luck extracting the injector!!
Yep, M47 bmw engine.

I've heard the injectors need the engine to be really warm for them to come out. hehe
The engines the best part of mine, have had a run of bad luck from it and from garage's not doing work right/causing more damage than good.

Yes, Number 2 injector had a different flow rate to 1,3,4. Was down compaired to them, going to get a 2nd test done on it to see how things are but would an injector throw an engine light under heavy load?
Not fuelling enough or such?


AlLondon

141 posts

165 months

Wednesday 25th July 2012
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The garage you went to need a new machine, sounds rubbish.

The OBD reader will pick up next to nothing on the TD4 anyway.
You need to speak to a garage with better diagnostics. Really you need the fault to occur again as otherwise they wont see anything.

And please dont lob parts at it without seeing the correct codes.

Simon says

18,969 posts

222 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
quotequote all
AlLondon said:
The garage you went to need a new machine, sounds rubbish.

The OBD reader will pick up next to nothing on the TD4 anyway.
You need to speak to a garage with better diagnostics. Really you need the fault to occur again as otherwise they wont see anything.

And please dont lob parts at it without seeing the correct codes.
yes +1